5 CES tech discoveries just for moms

We love hearing that more and more, tech companies are reaching out to moms and understanding that we’re fans of technology too. And I’m happy to report there was plenty of evidence of it last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Last week I fought through more than 140,000 people on multiple exhibit floors at CES, to find things will make our lives more fun and maybe even easier. Some of which just might be the next “I can’t live without it” gadgets. Here are just five of my favorite picks just for moms that will be out in the next year, and I promise, more cool stuff to come! -Beth

1. Smart Appliances

How many moms are tired of having to call a repairman to fix their home appliance or want more automated controls? Kenmore, LG, Whirlpool and GE all presented smart appliances that can do things like calculate the soap levels or run cycles at low peak times to save energy, all automatically.

LG’s THINQ technology has something called an intelligent WiFi grid which even means your appliance talks to your phone or computer, letting you know when something has to be fixed–hopefully before it’s too late to fix it. And Kenmore offers Connect customer service, allowing their washers and dryers to communicate with service experts kind of the way your car does.

2. Turn your phone into a baby monitor

With the Withings Smart Baby Monitor moms can watch their baby directly from their iPhone, iPad, iTouch or
Android. How great is that? There’s sound and motion detection, plus an infared LED that provides night vision so you can make sure all is well without waking light sleepers. The system even lets you stream music for even sweeter dreams.

3. Coloring app 2.0

All kids love drawing apps, and it gets to the next level with the new ColorStudio HD App from Griffin Technology and Crayola. More than a mere app, it lets your family iPad become a real canvas with an iMarker Digital Stylus.

4. Lojack for your gadgets–and your family!

If you’ve got a child who’s destined to forget that iPod touch at school, or if you’ve ever been heartbroken by the loss of a gadget of your own, you’re going to love Gadgetrak, a software that enables tracking of smartphones, select media players and tablets. Best yet, the software lets you download data from stolen devices. Very James Bond, although it does not self-destruct afterward.

Neer offers a little high-tech help to the momtuition we all have. It’s a private (important!) and automatic location sharing service for Android and iPhone 4 users that can help you check if your kids are on their way home, without even making a call.

5. 3D Fun

While most families are not ready for a big expensive 3D TV, there are so many new ways to capture family memories in 3 dimensions–just think of how great those soccer games will look! Sony extended their line of cameras and video camcorders to include the Sony Camcorder 3D and Bloggie Camcorder 3D which don’t require special glasses. The Sony Vaio F series 3D laptop comes with the glasses and lets you play 3D Blu-Ray videos, or convert regular HD movies into 3-D.

And if you’re always taking the kids to 3D movies but cringe at those public glasses (we know who you are, germaphobes!) Polaroid 3D glasses and the soon-to-be-released Marchon 3D glasses are just $30 each. Good thing kids get cheaper tickets at the theater.

What new technology are you interested in trying out for yourself or your family?